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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30135102">Roses Aren't Red</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftishere/pseuds/swiftishere'>swiftishere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MSA One-Shots [42]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mystery Skulls Animated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Team Up, basically a "what if lew didn't fade away at the end of ghost" AU, spoilers: it has some pretty big consequences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:01:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30135102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftishere/pseuds/swiftishere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewis is still stewing over so narrowly missing his target, when a stranger appears. She's obviously not human, but their goals are aligned, and at this point, he'll take all the help he can get catching that <em>bastard</em>. </p><p>Shiromori usually works alone. After being betrayed by the first other being she trusted, she's wary of letting anyone else <em>help her</em>. But revenge... well, that's a cause she can sympathize with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lewis &amp; Shiromori (Mystery Skulls Animated)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MSA One-Shots [42]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1440190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Roses Aren't Red</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i'd love to make this into a longer series but tbh i have no idea if anyone else would be interested esp considering i'm very much on shiromori's side here</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p>Shiromori stalks through the undergrowth of the forest, following the scent of magic. It's faint, a trail left long ago, but there, and though it doesn't quite fit, it carries with it the unmistakable, tantalizing mark of her fox’s magic. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>It isn't much longer before she breaks through the trees and into a clearing surrounded by some manufactured human walls. She sees the source of the magic immediately.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>A ghost is floating, as though sitting in the air, elbows on his knees and staring quietly forwards. His expression is difficult to read on the flame-wrapped skull, but he looks… <em>idle</em>. Unresponsive to the subtle movements of the world around him. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>“You,”</em> she says, stepping forward from the shadows, letting a trail of vines and roots surge in her wake. “Where’s the mutt?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He looks up, expression shifting from the former neutral mask into confusion. “What-?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Another few steps, shoulders rising, hefting her shears. “That <em>little dog</em>. I know you’ve seen him. Where?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Dog- <em>Mystery?”</em> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>…Yes, that’s the name her fox is going by now, isn’t it? She’s heard the humans call him that, or things that sound like it. “Yes. I’m looking for him. <em>Tell me where he is.”</em> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>“Why?”</em> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"He <em>hurt me</em> and now he’s trying to hide.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“…Hurt you?” he echoes. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She folds her arms, thinking over how best to summarize. "He kept me as a... pet, guardian? For years. Then he found some <em>human</em> who was stronger than he was, got <em>scared</em>, and let her set me on fire and ran away with her. Now he’s hiding with her descendants."</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Vivi's family…?" the ghost murmurs, looking down at the ground. Then he looked back up at her, eyes narrowing, sparks flying as he rose from the sitting position into a proper floating stance. "If it's revenge you're after, you won't be getting it. I swear I'll burn you alive a second time before you get anywhere near her.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>“Easy,”</em> she warns, lifting her shears in response. A quiet whisper ripples through the small clearing as the crowd of vines gathers at her feet. “And put your magic down. I’m just after the fox.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He blinks, shoulders easing back. “<em>Fox?”</em> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She has to laugh at that, just out of surprise. “He hasn’t even <em>told you?</em> Of course he’s been <em>lying</em>, how else would he get away with hiding with some human children? He’s a kitsune, who’s been hiding his true form because he <em>knows</em> I’ll find him if he shows it.” Her eyes flick over his form. There’s no clue as to what caused his death, but… “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s <em>him</em> who’s the cause of this, somehow. He’s always been… <em>bloodthirsty</em>.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What? Mystery isn’t dangerous- it’s the little guy. I- <em>this</em> is all <em>his fault</em>.” He looks away, narrowing his eyes as he glares at the floor. “Backstabbing bastard…” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She processes his words for a moment, and then huffs a laugh. “That Yukino girl has a real talent for picking up monsters, doesn’t she?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He echoes her half-amused sound. “Seems like it, huh?” The tense shoulders relax a little, brow unfurrowing, and he tilts his head at her. “I don’t know where Mystery is now. But it seems like we’re both after similar things. I’m willing to help you track down your… <em>fox</em>, if you help <em>me</em> find something, too. They won’t go far from each other.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You mentioned the <em>little guy."</em> She assumed he was talking about the sunflower that hung around their group, but if she was being honest, it was hard to imagine a <em>sunflower</em> doing something that could earn the level of sheer <em>contempt</em> in the ghost's voice. They'd always been kind and generous, as much as anyone was to her, and she almost felt bad about offering to – she assumed – hunt one down.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The ghost nodded, unfortunately. "His name is Arthur. I thought <em>he</em> was a friend, too... until he pushed me to my death. I've <em>got</em> to kill him before he kills anyone else."</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"How <em>noble</em> of you." Probably wasn't wise to antagonize the fire spirit who already had reason to be suspicious of her, but the poorly disguised hate when he spat out the name made it obvious his goal was less about protecting everyone and more about revenge. She could sympathize with that, but she thought it was stupid to pretend anything more important about it. "But fine. You get the sunflower, I get the mutt."</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He considers her for a moment, and then nods. “So what do you need from me?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Reassured that she has his cooperation – for now, at least – she steps a little closer. “That- tether of yours. Give it to me, and I can track them.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He covers it protectively with one hand. “I’m not letting you touch it!”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Do you have some <em>other</em> way of finding them?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He hesitates a moment longer before finally pulling the weakly pulsing blue heart off his chest, and holding it cautiously out to her. She sets one hand on it, raising the other empty, and draws out the tiniest bit of the mix of energies inside.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Three flowers bloom in her open palm - blue, purple, and yellow - and she huffs, taking the hand away to draw her shears. They aren't her <em>mutt</em>, but they'll do for now.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Once she's snipped the stems, she plucks the purple rose free of the other two, and offers it to the ghost.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What <em>is</em> that?" he asks, tilting his head at it.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Your soul. Or a part of it, at least. I don't need it, so you can decide what to do with it."</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He takes it from her, brow still furrowed, and looks up. "And the other two-?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You don't recognize them?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"...Vivi and Arthur," he says after a moment of deliberation.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She turns her attention back to the two flowers. She selects the blue to use first, and carefully removes the sunflower, saving it for later. "Souls are drawn to their owners. The flowers will carry us to them." She draws a breath and blows lightly on the blue, its petals falling away immediately and drifting on a nonexistent breeze.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well." She sets her shears on her shoulder, and turns back to the ghost. "Let's go find your sunflower."</p>
</div>
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